Rainwater Harvesting: Global Storming – Bring it on - Installing a Rainwater Harvesting System (RHS) could be a major step in achieving your ideal, eco-friendly home. You could be collecting your own water through the beauty of nature rather than seeing the bills pile up on the doormat from the Utility Company. By installing a run-off system from your roof that leads to a storage area, pumps and purifiers, rainwater can be used across your home.>> more

What India Can Teach the Rest of the World About Rainwater Conservation - To meet the needs of the state’s 35 million people, a program called Jalanidhi, created by the Kerala government and the World Bank, has helped bring piped water to many households since 2000. People interested in digging new wells, drilling bore-wells, or building mechanisms to draw water from streams and rivers have received financial and technical aid. Another approach, rainwater conservation, has become common in the last decade, even though it is not exactly a new concept.>> more

A Rainwater Harvesting Hero in Vienna - Agrawal is one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes of 2015 and has a chance to be the CNN Hero of the Year and win $100,000. He was nominated in 2013 by, he suspects, his daughter Nayna. After a thorough check by CNN, the network contacted him and informed him that he was in the top 25 and that they would like to go to India with him to film the work he is doing. With his Fairfax-based NGO Sustainable Innovations, he delivered Aakash Ganga, River from the Sky in Hindi. Aakash Ganga provides safe drinking water to vulnerable people and rural communities. Ten thousand people in six villages have been provided regular access to clean water.>> more

Eagle Mountain prepared to invest $1M in water-wise improvements - “We are looking at how can infrastructure generate and create multiple values and multiple opportunities for potential,” Lancaster said. “So looking at a lot of Eagle Mountain’s street medians, they tend to be hill-like shaped; so since water runs downhill, the irrigation water that is imported to water the street medians and the turf that is in them very often ends up in the street, and that leads to more rapid degradation of the street.” >> more

Department asked to explain about damning report - WATER Minister Mark Bailey has sought a departmental briefing on the findings of a report that warns south-east Queensland households face massive increases in their water bills following the dumping of sustainable building regulations late last year. The report headed by former Victorian chief scientist Peter Coombes warns that the loss of requirements for rainwater harvesting and water-efficient fittings would add $7.3 billion to the cost of water by 2050. >> more

Catch some rain - In our dry climate, harvesting rainwater is now essential as the drought deepens in the West. Keeping in mind that ours is a Mediterranean climate with months of hot dry conditions in the summer, preserving some of the rain that falls during our wet season helps us be more water-efficient. >> more

Harness the life giving and free power of rainwater - Our world is running out of fresh water. Water conservation and the development of fresh water supplies is the only solution to being able to meet the growing demand for fresh water. This is especially true in Texas. In some cities and communities of Texas, more than fifty percent of our water usage is to irrigate our lawns and landscapes. A way of reducing this usage is “rainwater harvesting.”>> more

October 2015

Rainwater Harvesting Conserves Mother Nature's Resources - Many people across the South Plains are using the rain water in a smart way, by collecting it for later use. This water conservation is known as rainwater harvesting."Rainwater harvesting is the basic concept of collecting water from a down spout, gutter, or something of that kind and putting it into some kind of container to save it for later use," says Adeline Fox, with the High Plains Water District.>> more

Rainwater harvesting rebate program coming to San Marcos - Citizens are going beyond merely turning off the faucet while brushing their teeth in order to conserve water. Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rainwater before it runs into streets and gutters as a sufficient way to conserve water. Customers who have purchased their non-pressurized systems through the city with the $0.50/gallon rebate program can pick up rain barrels on Oct. 31 between 9 a.m. and noon at the San Marcos City Hall Complex.>> more

Rainwater capture, routing, storage and purification in 5 steps - It really is amazing how much water can be collected from your roof. A formula exists that reveals that even a half inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof (40 by 50 feet) can generate about 625 gallons of relatively fresh, nearly potable water. This water — direct from the sky and pure until it hits a hard surface — can be the cheapest, most viable way to get water for gardens, various cleaning needs — and, yes, even for drinking and bathing in a pinch — next to having it piped and delivered by the Community Services District.>> more

Brackish water, wastewater reuse seen for future - The future of water in Texas is likely to shift from lakes and lawns to conservation, recycling and technology to use nearly every drop — from rain to salty groundwater. In recent years, San Antonio has developed six alternative water sources to the Edwards Aquifer. New sources planned for the future include a brackish water desalination plant, set to go into operation in about a year, and a 142-mile pipeline from Central Texas, to be put to use by 2020. Alyssa Burgin, executive director with the nonprofit Texas Drought Project, said builders could help avert water shortages and rigid regulations by installing xeriscapes, hardscapes and drip-irrigation and rainwater-collection systems in new construction. Texas must expand use of recycled wastewater beyond parks and golf courses to entire municipal systems, she said. >> more

With a few precautions, it’s safe to use harvested rainwater on the veggies - A question that I have fielded numerous times this year is whether it is safe to use harvested rainwater to irrigate a vegetable garden and other edibles. The short answer is yes, it is safe, but certain factors and application practices should be considered. >> more

August 2015

The three wonders of the ancient world solving modern water problems - Ancient rainwater harvesting practices in India, Peru and Kenya are re-emerging to adapt to the changing conditions.>> more

How to Beat the Drought by Hoarding Water (If It Ever Rains Again) - Rainwater harvesting sounds simple, right? People have been setting out containers to catch rain for thousands of years, but collecting rainwater in our thirsty modern world is a messy business. Here's what you need to know if you're hoping to stick a bucket under a gutter to conserve water and cut down your water bill.>> more

Consider using swales in your landscaping to save water - Is there a "swale" in your future? Human-created artificial swales are becoming more popular in our arid region as landscapers and others recognize the water-saving benefits they can provide. Sometimes described as "water-harvesting ditches," swales are shallow, sculpted depressions in the ground that follow the contour of the land. True swales collect rainwater (running from a roof gutter, for example) and slow it to a standstill allowing water to better infiltrate the soil and support nearby plant life. >> more

Rainwater harvesting saves water, gardens and rivers - Weatherwise, it’s been a summer of sharp contrasts in Atlanta. Weeks of hot, dry weather have been punctuated by torrential rain storms that have kept the plants in my yard sporadically happy and local lakes and rivers mostly full. While a portion of northern Georgia was considered “abnormally dry” in July, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, our water supplies are in pretty good shape this year for most of the state.>> more

July 2015

How to harvest rainwater for desert landscapes - Have you ever noticed how plants appear greener and brighter after a good rain? It's not just because the dust and dirt get washed off. Rainwater is a clean, salt-free source of water that contains many beneficial ingredients for plants.You may not think we get enough rain here to bother, but the rooftop of a typical home can collect more than 400 gallons from ½-inch of rain, making water harvesting well worth the effort. >> more

June 2015

Solutions to water storage and storm water run-off problems - Housing development has overtaken the natural processes of water storage in aquifers, deposit of topsoil, and establishment of forests. A major function of the slowing down water run-off over plants and open ground was that most of the water slowed enough to be absorbed into the ground and filter through it into underground aquifers, resulting in clean water stored in vast underground cisterns, some in limestone and others in saturated soils. >> more

May 2015

Rainfall Soaks San Angelo, No Progress Made on Runoff Harvesting Research - Water conservation has been a grave concern in San Angelo, particularly over the past few years. Councilmember Rodney Fleming requested research be done on rainwater harvesting via curb cuts on residential streets some time ago. Since then the city department that was in charge of the research has experienced some change, and Russell Pehl is now the Assistant Director of Water Utilities for the city. Pehl has been in that position for about a month.>> more

Innovations Stop Rainwater from Going Down the Drain - More than half the world’s population lives in metropolitan centers. The built environment of a city is very different from that of rural and natural areas. When it rains over a rural landscape, much of the rainwater sinks into the ground or is evaporated or transpirated by trees, crops and other plants. >> more

Colorado state water law leaves gardeners high and dry on rain barrels -Let me get this straight. According to Colorado law, a person can legally possess and use marijuana. However, it’s still against the law to possess and use a rain barrel. Why are rain barrels so dangerous? When are we going to decriminalize water conservation? >> more

April 2015

Tucson’s rain-catching revolution -In the mid-1980s, Brent Cluff lived in a low-slung four-bedroom house on a quiet street in Oro Valley, an upscale suburb northwest of Tucson. Saguaro and prickly pear, mesquite trees and shrubs filled his front yard and most of the others on the street. His backyard, however, stood out, with peach, plum and apricot trees, and a vegetable garden overflowing with cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and okra. It was completely irrigated by stormwater, captured from the street by an eight-inch pipe and used to fill a figure 8-shaped 100,000-gallon concrete pond. The pond was stocked with trout from northern Arizona; periodically, Cluff let Cub Scouts fish there.>> more

Harness rainwater and save money - The long rains have hit most of Kenya so much that places like Bondo have endured floods that sadly took away lives. Water is life, so when it results in death, something is extremely wrong. Kenya receives sufficient rainwater for every homestead in the entire country. Tragically, most of this water is wasted. >> more

March 2015

Rainwater harvest more than a drop in the bucket -Tymn Combest popped a sample bottle of rainwater into a pocket chlorine reader and, after a minute, looked at the screen. “Looks like I’m going to have to add more chlorine,” he said. From just the 0.8 of an inch of rain that fell over San Angelo on Friday, Combest caught 1,800 gallons of rainwater off his house and his garage by the afternoon. >> more

Let Colorado residents use rooftop runoff - It is hypocritical for the state's water providers to demand citizens conserve water while a state law on the books prohibits people from doing just that in one notable way — collecting runoff rainwater from their roofs. Thankfully, legislation has been introduced to do away with this outdated prohibition>> more

Rainwater harvesting reduces demand on existing water supply - Did you know that the average roof (1,000 square feet) collects 600 gallons of water for every inch of rain? So let's not let all of that water go to waste! Rainwater harvesting systems provide distributed stormwater runoff containment while simultaneously storing water, which can be used for plant irrigation and other uses. There are two types of rainwater harvesting systems - active and passive.>> more

Harvest rainwater runoff for dry summer - If you haven't gotten around to getting that rain barrel you've been wanting, this winter's rainy weather has likely caused you some regret. Another hot, possibly dry summer is approaching, so it is never too late to increase your water conserving efforts.A simple process, rainwater harvesting captures, diverts and stores the water. Recent years of extended drought and increasing demand from the state's growing population, have renewed interest in this conservation practice. >> more

ASPE releases two new draft standards for public review - The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) recently announced that it has released two new draft standards for public review -- the ARCSA/ASPE 78: Stormwater Harvesting System Design for Direct End-Use Applications and the WQA/ASPE 1201: Electrochemical Drinking Water Treatment Systems. ARCSA/ASPE 78, developed with the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, covers on-site, single-property stormwater catchment systems that collect and use precipitation or rain from non-rooftop and other impervious surfaces at, below, and above grade. WQA/ASPE 1201, developed with the Water Quality Association, covers point-of-use or point-of-entry treatment systems that utilize electrochemical technology to treat water meant for human consumption as well as water used in certain commercial and industrial applications that have water quality needs similar to drinking water. >> more

February 2015

Cushioning impact of water crisis through rainwater harvesting - The hot and dry spell Malaysia is currently experiencing, which is expected to last until end-March, is causing the public to become jittery.It is worth pondering why most urban Malaysians are totally dependent on their supply of treated water to carry out daily activities like washing their toilets, floors and cars and watering their gardens. Why don't they consider performing these tasks using rainwater?>> more

January 2015

Water Catchment on the Suburban Frontier - Transformation work started on this quarter-acre suburban property in 2,000. The site is flat, good soil with good solar access. It's in a suburban neighborhood; the house was built in 1956. The intention from the start was to do a permaculture makeover to take care of more needs closer to home.Catch and store rain in the Pacific Northwest? That's right. Its dry here in the summer. We can go two months with, essentially, no rain. The reasons for the system are partly for irrigation, drinking if I need to and “green preparedness..” The plastic for all these tanks is polyethylene and is food grade, made without chlorine. >> more

Entrepreneurial alum helps everyone harvest rainwater - Six years after graduating from the Conway School, through a fortuitous series of twists and turns, Jesse Froehlich ’08 is entering her fourth year as an entrepreneur with her rainwater harvesting business. BlueBarrel, LLC (or BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment Systems as it is known) is an online business selling customized kits for building multi-barrel rainwater collection systems using recycled food-grade, fifty-five-gallon barrels.>> more

Tucson a model for planning for drier future, author says - Internationally recognized food and farming activist Gary Paul Nabhan says Tucson gardeners do a good job recognizing the importance of harvesting rainwater to grow crops in the desert climate. But on the heels of Tucson’s warmest year on record, Nabhan feels more can be done.“There’s been a lot of emphasis on things like harvesting water, but not much on the other ways that deal with scarce water and cooling crops,” says Nabhan.>> more >> Browse Book >> Other Water Books

How to prepare for energy, water shedding - IWe know all about load shedding and we’ve been warned about water shedding. So what do we do about it? According to rainwater harvesting specialist Patrick Rosslee, a good idea is to have your own tank – the biggest your space can afford. “Get a rough idea of how much rain water you can capture. On every square metre of roof, a millimetre of rain will give you one litre,” he said. >> more >> Tank Sizing Calculator